1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to remote user interfaces. More specifically, browser based arrangements are described for rendering user interfaces that are sent over a network.
2. Description of the Related Art
Remote user interfaces (UIs) are becoming important in various consumer electronics (CE) devices because they permit a remote device to display a user interface for an application that it does not host. For example, in a home setting, a host (e.g. a set top box) located in one room may be arranged to deliver content over a home network to multiple devices including devices that may be located in other rooms within the house. In such settings, it is desirable for a user to be able to interact with the host device through a user interface displayed on the remote device.
To date, there have been a number off efforts to define standards for developing remote user interfaces. Presently, no one remote UI standard works for all situations. Streaming bitmap remote UIs (Intel's XRT, VNC, JPEG2000, etc.) all require a special client in order to decode the stream. HTML UIs work for UIs that can be described as HTML but have difficulty handling UIs that are not readily described using HTML. Video based UIs require expensive video encoders on the server side to create the UI in the first place.
The Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) has a standardization initiative—CEA 2014-A—that is intended to define a web-based protocol and framework for facilitating remote user interfaces. The CEA 2014-A standard defines the mechanisms necessary to allow a user interface to be remotely displayed on and controlled by devices or control points other than the one hosting the underlying logic. The basic device discovery is based on the UPnP Device Architecture for UPnP networks and UPnP devices in the home. The standard also allows the remote display of user interfaces provided by third party internet services on UPnP devices in the home, and covers a wide range of UI capabilities for TVs, mobile hones and portable devices.
Browser based remote user interface systems (such as CEA 2014) typically use HTML to create user interfaces on remote devices in much the same way that web pages are created on a PC screen. One challenge that is faced by browser based remote user interface systems is that they are not well suited for supporting user interfaces that include bitmapped or other non-html components. Service providers are keen for bitmapped UI support because it allows them to promote their brand with their service when it is used remotely by other devices in the home over a home network. Without remote UI support the service providers content would be used without their own user interfaces. Large companies such as cable and phone providers would prefer to grow their business value by utilizing their own user interfaces with their content, whether it be something as simple as displaying a logo with their content or something as complex as a completely unique interactive interface used with their content.
Additionally, many applications have been already written for non-browser environments, such as applications written in Java for mobile phones. Companies would prefer not to have to rewrite these applications in HTML in order for them to work in newer CE devices that utilize HTML. Thus, providing a mechanism for these applications to operate in a browser without significant effort on the part of the developing companies would be beneficial.
In view of the foregoing, mechanisms for more easily facilitating the use of bitmapped images or other non-html content in browser based remote user interfaces would be desirable.